A Pirate's Dawn
by Ezelle
Summary: Stella has spent the last six years away from the sea, and now it's calling for her again. Could Jack Sparrow be the one to help her back into the Caribbean lifestyle?
1. Stella

**| A Pirate's Dawn |**

_Chapter 1_

_"Stella"_

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*** Author's Notes ***

_Hi ev'raybody!  I've been busy for the past two weeks and haven't gotten to write anything, it's insane!  Anyway, I've really wanted to start another POTC frantic, so this is what I've come up with!  As always, I do not own POTC *scowls menacingly, a la evil villain* or any of the characters! _

**Please R & R !  I really like hearing comments and/or suggestions from readers, and I DO accept anonymous reviews!**

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It was a beautiful evening, the sky filled with brilliant shades of red and orange.  Stella sighed happily as she leaned on the side of the ship, gazing westward.  The ship was in the middle of the sea, with nothing to see on the horizon but more crystalline water, sparkling with the sun's fire.  She stood there, the wind gently blowing her hair around her face.  Just when the sun had almost fully set, she felt two large, strong hands grab around her mouth and waist, pulling her backwards into what seemed like an endless pit of darkness.

Stella awoke in her bed, covered in a nervous sweat.  She looked around her room cautiously, as if someone were to pop out at her any moment.  

          "No…they couldn't have come back for me.  They don't know…" she trailed off to herself quietly, trying to reassure her.  She was right; it had been a full six years since that night, and to this day, they probably thought she was dead.

Ever since she could remember, Stella had lived on a ship her entire life.  Her father had been the captain of one of the most renowned vessels in the Spanish Main, the "Intrepid."  It had been a small ship, compared to others, but for the brute force she lacked, she made up in her incredible speed.  Stella had practically been raised by the Intrepid's crew, and because of this, she acquired quite a vocabulary, and a taste for raunchy jokes and rum at an early age.  Her father had seen nothing wrong with it, glad his daughter was not one of the common china dolls that stayed indoors, wasting away, never knowing a true life.  The Intrepid's crew was good-natured and regarded Stella as their own daughter as well, protecting her when they went on lootings, and entertaining her on the ship.  It was like one large, very alcoholic family.  Until that unforgettable night.

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It was a day like any other.  Stella was sixteen years old, now possessing the skills of any other crewmember on board.  Her father had taught her all he had known, and given her, her own cutlass and pistol, a sign of a true pirate.  She had spent that day sparring with her father, as she was a perfectionist when it came to her skills.  In her mind, they could always be improved upon.  After dinner downstairs with the crew, she had wandered back on the deck to watch the sunset, as she usually did when she wanted to think.  This night, she didn't have much to think about, she just needed some air, and it was the perfect night for it.  The hands grabbed her just like in the dream; she was completely unarmed.  Before she knew it, her arms were bound behind her with rope, and her mouth was gagged with a disgustingly dirty rag.  Not being able to make a sound, she was half-dragged, half-carried into a small rowboat, and taken over to another ship, one she had never seen before.  That was the last time she saw her father and the crew.  As they boarded the ship, "Maria's Fate" as she read from the side, she heard a large explosion.  She turned and saw the most horrific sight she had ever seen…The Intrepid, blown into several large, burning pieces.  Whether anyone had survived she couldn't tell, as she was violently jerked into what seemed like the captain's chamber.  She waited for what seemed like an hour, her face wet with furious tears.  A door opened, and a darkly-clothed man walked towards her, grinning victoriously.  But as he came closer, his expression changed into that of fury.  He pushed Stella out of the way, sending her toppling to the floor, and opened the door to find the crew listening against the wall.

          _"You complete idiots!  This isn't the girl I wanted!"_ he boomed in a rage.  A short man stepped forward, obviously his first mate.

          _"This was the only one aboard.  James only had one daughter," _he defended himself.  The captain turned to face Stella once more, and sighed, knowing this was true.

          _"I suppose it doesn't matter.  James is dead, so is the crew." _He shrugged, somewhat content, and started walking towards the stern of the ship to steer.

          _"Captain?  The girl?  What are we to do with her?"_ a greasy looking pirate asked.

          The captain turned and then smirked evilly.  _"Whatever you want, she's of no use to me."  He turned and carried on towards the wheel, the crew eyeing Stella like a pack of wolves._

          By this time, Stella had gotten back onto her feet and was now looking at the crew in fear.  Her cutlass and pistol were now at the bottom of the sea, along with everything else.  As a few of the crewmembers approached her, she narrowed her eyes, now feeling nothing but rage.  The had killed her father!  They had separated her from him before his death for no reason!  She could have at least died with them!  But now she was here, destined for a less than pleasant future.  At this idea, she spat right in the first mate's face.  She didn't want them to think she was some delicate little girl they could do what they pleased with.  The pirate stood there for a moment, in silent rage, and wiped his face off.  He opened his eyes and shot his hand at her throat, grasping it tightly.

          _"You listen here lass, you stay on this ship, you do what we tell ye to do.  Ye play nice,"  _he said in a restrained yell.  _Do ye understand?"_  He let go of her throat, allowing her to answer.

          Stella mustered up the most strength her could at the moment to keep back her tears.  She wasn't weak like the other prisoners they probably usually took.  She narrowed her eyes once again and stood straight up.  _"Then I won't be staying on this ship, will I?"  She stood her ground, waiting for his reaction._

          His cocky smile quickly turned back into pure fury, not used to being talked back to.  With that, he grabbed her roughly, and tilted her over the side of the ship, backwards.  _"Give yer father my regards,"  he spat out, and heaved her over the side.  _

          Stella opened her eyes to see herself surrounded in dark blue waters.  She couldn't tell how deep she was, since there was no light to reference herself to.  That didn't matter; she needed to get to the surface, no matter how deep she was.  She started kicking as hard as she could, while trying to slip the ropes off of her arms.  Luckily, the crew was sloppy, and hadn't completely knotted it, allowing her to slide it off quite easily.  Relieved, she started swimming as fast as she could to what little of the moonlight she could see.  

Just as she thought her lungs would burst, she surfaced.  She had indeed been deeper than she had thought.  After she had caught her breath, she looked around, trying to reorient herself.  Maria's Fate was already off in the distance, and for this, Stella was grateful.  She looked to her left, seeing something large and shadowed, floating in the water.  She cautiously paddled towards it, not in the trusting mood, and her heart leaped with joy.  It was the rowboat they had used to bring her from the Intrepid.  _"Thank God, they're such careless pirates…" she thought to herself as she pulled herself into the small boat.  She smiled once again, finding the oars to be inside as well.  She took out her compass, which hung from a strip of leather around her neck, and pointed the boat west, hoping to hit a port or another ship in that direction.  Before she started paddling however, she took one of the rings off of her finger, and dropped it into the sea.  _

          _"Goodbye, father.  I'll never forget you or the crew.  The heavens take ye, all those lost at sea," _she whispered to herself, hoping these words could be heard.  She bowed her head in respect, and started rowing west.

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A small tear crept out of the corner of Stella's eye.  It was hard for her to remember that night, and she had dreams about it at least twice a week.  She did her best to avoid thinking about it, but she really couldn't help it.  

She had rowed due west for a week before she landed at a port about ten miles away from Tortuga.  She was near death from lack of water, and had lost nearly fifteen pounds.  Luckily, a woman had found her and gotten her a meal and enough money for a week's worth of living expenses.  She thanked the old lady, and headed for Tortuga, determined to find a new life there.

She had lived in Tortuga ever since.  She started out working as a kitchen maid at a large tavern, worked her way up, and was now a bar maid.  She got her regular pay, free drinks, and tips from customers.  When she didn't have someone to wait on, she spent her time drinking and talking with customers.  Since everyone in Tortuga was a pirate, or did business with them, she didn't have to change her name or dress, or anything else, for that matter.  She couldn't have asked for a better deal.  Everyone at the tavern knew her as Stella, and didn't ask any questions about it.  But recently, she had gone into a state of depression.  She didn't really want to spend the rest of her life as a bar maid, getting hit on constantly by all sorts of strange men.  She was a pirate!  A damn good one at that.  The longer she stayed in Tortuga, the more her skills deteriorated, no matter how much she practiced.

Stella sighed, and laid back down.  It was early in the morning, and she had to be up in another couple hours.  She couldn't think about this any longer, or she'd be up for the rest of the night.

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**PLEASE REVIEW!  :) **


	2. The Barmaid

**| A Pirate's Dawn |**

_Chapter Two_

_"The Barmaid"_

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***Author's Notes***

_No, the title has nothing to do with that stupid excuse for a movie that Britney Spears attempted to act in.  Someone shoot me if I ever get that bad at acting.  Anyway, thought I should write another chapter pretty soon, seeing as how the last one didn't really get very deep.  Just past history of Stella and all that schtuff.  Tell me if the fic starts getting too cheesy or in any way Mary-Sue._

**P L E A S E  R E V I E W ! ! !**

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**MarauderPhoenix**** ~ I'm glad you liked it!  I'll try to keep it good, I hate it when stories lose that initial spark!**

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The bright, warm beams of morning light woke Stella as they landed on her face and arms.  She yawned, and propped herself up in her bed.  Seeing that the fireplace was free of flame, she shook her head chidingly.

"Should've added that extra log las' night," she scolded herself gently.  She hated waking up to a cold fire.  This would mean that she would have to dry herself after washing in the cold morning air, instead of comfortably sitting by the fire.  She groaned and laid back in the bed once again.  Larson would yell at her if she was late again, she knew, but she could afford a few extra minutes in thought.  

She studied the cracked plaster on the ceiling, thinking about her dream once again.  It was only six years ago that her dream was a reality, but it seemed like an eternity ago.  She sighed, hoping it was the last time she'd ever had to go through it again, but knowing she would certainly dream it again.  Shaking her head clear, she threw the covers off of herself, only to be greeted by the chilly night's air, not yet warmed by the sun.  She rubbed her arms to create some warmth, and looked at her bedside clock.

"Eight twenty-seven," she stated to no one in particular.  She didn't really have very many people she talked to outside of work.  She didn't need to.  The customers provided all the entertainment that she could want.  She was, after all, raised to be an independent pirate.  Not some prissy girl who needed constant attention.

After much uneccessarily prolonged, loud shivering, she finally stood up by the side of her bed and stretched.  She could feel it.  This was going to be a long day.  She walked quietly out to the washroom, which was only two doors down from her room's door.  She rented a small, first floor apartment for a cheap fee, provided that she didn't mind being lodged next to the bathroom and the washroom.  It wasn't really an apartment, merely an extra maid's room attached to a medium sized household.  However, the family didn't need a maid, and were on friendly terms with pirates, and therefore allowed her to stay there.  

She came back into her room, with a small hand cloth and a bucket full of hot water.  She quickly undressed herself, and briefly washed herself, going as fast as she could.  Putting the hand cloth down, she bend over and took a large breath, plunging her head into the water.  She had spiraled, copper colored hair, that only reached down to her shoulders, so it didn't take long to dry in the morning.  Thoroughly freezing, she wrung her hair out into the bucket, and gently patted her face dry with a spare towel on her hair.

She walked over to her bed, and grabbed her breeches that she draped over the end.  She grabbed a clean, blood-colored, billowing shirt from her dresser, and tucked it into her breeches, strapping it down with a thick, leather belt with a large, silver buckle.  Rethinking, she unbuttoned a her shirt a bit from the top.  She got more tips that way, even if she wouldn't let the customers try anything.  She shook her head from side to side, the lone coin earring jingling from her left ear.  She hastily braided her hair loosely, not really caring what it looked like.  As long as it stayed out of her face, it was fine.  The only time she cared about her appearance was if it got her something, most times it was respect, or money.  She put on her brown leather gloves she had designed herself carefully.  Her own little invention, to cut back on calluses from constantly carrying around mugs of rum and ale.

She picked up the last item of clothing fondly.  It was a small, half-corset deal that her father had bought her when she was fourteen.  Normally, he would have never done such a thing, except that this had a hidden layer of metal inside of it.  As soon as she had started going on the serious plunderings with the crew, he gave it to her for protection.  However, she rarely ever let down her guard, and wore it more as a precaution, for him.  She sighed, just thinking about her father, and put it on slowly, reminiscing.  As she tied the last lace up in front, she snapped out of her trance and looked at the clock.

"Jeezus, eight o'five!  He's going to have my head!"  She searched for her boots, tearing the room apart, finally remembering their location, and retrieving them from under her bed.  She slipped them on hurriedly, grabbed her coat, and ran out the door, headed down the street for the tavern.

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Stella ran up to the large oak doors of "The Boar's Tooth" and leaned against the stone wall, catching her breath.  She breathed a sigh of relief, seeing the clock tower in the distance.  She had made it with ten minutes to spare.  She silently looked up at the sky in gratitude.  She had been able to catch a ride on the back of a carriage for a couple blocks, saving her some time.  She would have to thank the oblivious driver, if she ever saw him again.  She reached for the door handle, only to have the door swing open in front of her, catching her by surprise.  She looked up at a large man, who wore a once-white, stained apron.

"Er, 'ello Mr. Larson.  Nice day, eh?" she grinned happily.  Henry Larson was an alright man, if you did your work.  He paid pretty fair, as well.  However, you didn't want to get on his bad side, he worked at a tavern, and got pretty drunk himself towards the end of the night.  God help you if you did something to upset him then.

He looked down at her in surprise, not expecting to see anyone.  "Mornin' Stella."  He looked at her with a raised eyebrow.  "Ye look a bit tired.  Like ye've been runnin'.  Good thing too.  Wouldn't want ye ter be late to work, would we?"  He looked at her sternly, but he soon cracked a smile.  Stella was his most reliant barmaid, never late to work more than a couple times a month.

"No no, just…uh…Watchin' the scenery," she lied.  "Might at well use me last free minutes enjoyably.  Don't get a break till' lunchtime."  She shrugged, and walked into the tavern, headed for the bar.  Her first duties in the morning were to wipe down the tables with a wet rag.  After a day's use, they got disgustingly sticky with spilled rum that had been left overnight.  She sighed, and drew some hot water from the bar tap, grabbing a large mop-like rag.  There were two other barmaids, but they usually came an hour later than herself.  It was alright though, Larson was a fair man, and paid her a deal more because of it. 

After she had run the twenty-some tables down, she dumped the dirty water into the mop basin, throwing the rag and bucket in after it.  She hated this part of her job.  She would much prefer handing out drinks and talking to traveling sailors and pirates.  However, the fun usually didn't start until around noon, when they came in for lunch.  The ones that were only in Tortuga for the night would spend the rest of the day there, sharing stories and drinking.  It was the closest thing Stella could do to actually being back out on the sea.

The other two girls, Gwen and Samantha, had come in by now, and had started the endless task of washing dishes and mugs, where they would most likely remain for the rest of the night.  That was the benefit of having worked for Larson that long.  He gave you the best job, and the most pay.  The free drinks and meals weren't bad either.

Stella didn't really talk to the other barmaids much.  They were both much too giggly, and were probably suited better to a whore's profession, judging by the amount of makeup and style of clothing they wore.  Always a plunging neckline, often leaving nothing to the imagination, and towers of curls on the tops of their heads.  Needless to say, they got plenty of attention from the customers.  They got bought drinks, and were invited to a lot of _meetings_ after the tavern closed at night, leaving Stella to close it up.  They were probably the main reason The Boar's Tooth was one of the most popular taverns in Tortuga.  They were the tavern prostitutes, and didn't mind it in the least.

Stella much preferred her job.  The regular customers knew her as the more intelligent barmaid, so she made a lot of friends, swapping stories.  They knew she had experience on the sea, and respected her for it.  

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The day went slower than usual, with only six or seven individuals coming in for a drink in the afternoon.  However, they poured in around six that night and easily filled the entire tavern with loud conversations.  So much in fact, that Stella hadn't gotten a break for hours, as it was now nine o'clock and she was busy running drinks around.

She sighed, picking up four rums from the bar, and rushed over to a back table.  "Oy!  Who got the four grogs?"  She peered around at the men sitting at the tables.  

"That'd be us, lass," answered a small little man sitting with his three crewmates.  "How much d'we owe ye?"  he asked, his eyes staring down her shirt.  

She shrugged, "I dunno, you'll have to ask Larson!" she yelled among the clamor of voices around her.  She rolled her eyes, noticing his gaze, and stood up.  She set down the drinks and turned to deliver more drinks, but the man grabbed her by her forearm.  

"Now lass, I wasn't done yet talkin' with ye," he said as he turned her back to face him.  Stella slapped his arm away and glared at him.  "Well, I was done talkin' with ye.  If you're looking for some _pleasurable company, then you'd try those two girls over there," she stated sternly as she motioned towards Gwen and Samantha, who were, as usual, engulfed by a large table of pirates._

"Seems they're a little hard to get to at the moment," he said slyly.  "Besides, you're the one I'm lookin' at," he said roughly, as he grabbed her arm once again, pulling her into his lap without warning.

Stella instinctively grabbed onto the man's shoulder to balance herself, almost toppling to the floor.  She turned to him and gave him a forceful slap across the side of his face, making his head turn to the side.  He put his hand on his cheek, rubbing it slightly, and grinning evilly.  "Now lass, don't ye do that."  He grabbed both of her hands, forcing them in front of her, and glared at her.  "We can do this the hard way, or the nice way.  Either way, it doesn't matter to me," he hissed.

To be continued…Evil me!

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**PLEASE REVIEW!!!  I'LL LOVE YOU FOREVER!**


	3. Resolution

**| A Pirate's Dawn |**

_Chapter Three_

_"Resolution"_

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***Author's Notes***

_Yay!  It always makes me happy when I get reviews.  I guess it just reassures me that people are actually reading what I've written.  Sure, the joy of writing is just that, but you get discouraged if no one reads it!  I think the first two chapters introduced Stella enough, so Jack'll be coming up in this one.  *does happy Jack dance* Mwahahahaha!  (By the way, sorry it's been so long since my last update!  I swear I'll try to keep chapters coming at least once a week, but they might be a tad bit shorter because of it.)_

**P L E A S E**   **R E V I E W ! ! !**

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**melissafarlie ~** I know, I know!  I try to get a chapter written a week, and start the next one, but I'm so crazy busy…  How dare anyone interfere with fanfic!?!?  *hits people*

**MarauderPhoenix ~ **Mwahaha!  The joy of cliffhangers!  *grins evilly from big "boss" chair, petting Mr. Bigglesworth*

**StrawBerriePunk ~ **Thanks!  I must say, I'm quite proud of myself for making my chapters somewhat long.  (Or at least, longer than I usually do. )  I'll be sure to keep that in mind, I definitely will NOT reduce a good character to a "girly-girl."  I have to say, I hate it when authors do that as well!  You think that a story's really going to be a good one, and then it ends up being some Mary-Sue.  Gah, I want to kill the Mary-Sues!!!  Hope ya keep reading, your reviews are sure to be quite helpful!

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Stella looked at the man in shock, her eyes wide from surprise.  Customers had always hit on her, but they usually didn't get forcefully physical.  Her expression quickly changed to rage.  "Git yer bloody pilferin' hands off'a me, ye mangy rat!" she hissed, in a hushed yell.  She twisted her wrists out of the man's forceful grip, and dug her nails, however short they were, into his forearms.  This only infuriated the man even more.  He slammed his fist over her right cheekbone, sending her onto the floor, flat on her back.  Stella, rubbed her face in pain, groaning slightly.  She started to sit up, but was stopped by a surging pain she felt in her lower back.  She dropped back to the floor in defeat.  The man laughed evilly, stood up placing a foot on each side of her, and crouched down until he was almost sitting on top of her hips.  "The hard way it is, then. Now, I'm sure yer manager wouldn't mind if ye took a small break to…spend some time with me," he grinned, showing several missing teeth.  Stella sighed exasperatedly, looking around for a way to escape.  Finding nothing, she focused back on the man that was now starting to undo his belt.  Disgusted, she delivered a punch directly into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.  While he was distracted, holding his large gut, she looked around at the tables.  Surely someone was going to help her…?

"Stupid, filthy, worthless, whore!" the man bellowed, smacking her in the face with each word, ending with a forceful blow on the last.  Stella groaned pathetically.  She felt helpless, no matter what she did, this man was not going to stop.  She opened her eyes to see the man with his hand raised, ready to strike her again.  She didn't care anymore.  The room was starting to spin and blur, her attention only focused on the pain that radiated for her lower back and face.  "Let this be a lesson to ya, lass…" said the man as he started to swing his fist forward once again.  The victorious grin on his face soon disappeared, however, as another hand seized his own, stopping his punch mid-air.

"Now mate, aren't we overreacting a tad?" slurred a deep voice from behind him.  The man turned to find himself face-to-face with a strangely clad pirate with dreadlocks and darkly rimmed eyes.  "Bugger off, she's mine!" he growled and with that, he shoved the pirate away.  

Jack sighed, and pulled the man off of Stella, making him drop to the floor.  "Now it seems that yer the one that'll be needin' to learn a lesson," he said as he pulled the small man to his feet.  Jack looked at him oddly.  "Why do I get the funny feelin' that I know ye from somewhere?" Jack asked.  The man only shrugged stupidly, suspiciously tilting his head towards the floor.  "Pete?  Cannonshot Pete!?" he growled after inspecting the man.  With that, he delivered a blow to his jaw, sending him back to the floor, unconscious.  Jack rubbed his knuckles and grinned triumphantly, glaring at the other men at the table, sending them scrambling towards the door.

Stella groaned from the floor.  "Oy!  Get yer asses back here an' pay fer them drinks!  Bloody hell…" she grumbled to herself, as she rolled over.  She yelped, pain exploding from her lower ribs, and threw herself onto her back again.  "Stupid fucking cowards…" she muttered to herself, wondering how she was going to get herself out of this one.  She was in a dark corner, and Larson wouldn't find her until tomorrow morning, when he was sober again.  Not that she wouldn't mind just lying there for a while.  Any slight movement sent stinging to her sides, and she could feel a small stream of blood running down her cheek.  Stella closed her eyes, wishing the pain to go away, slipping into a deep sleep.

Jack finally looked down at her, remembering the reason he had attacked the man in the first place.  He knelt down and shoved her leg a bit, to wake her up.  "Ey, ye alright, luv?"  Stella's eyes remained closed.  Jack frowned and crawled over closer to her, trying to get a better idea of her condition.  "Luv?  Are ye awake?"  He leaned over her face, and felt her steady breathing, relieved.  Her hair had come out of its braid in the fight, and was now in the form of messy waves going in all directions.  Jack pushed it away from her face, finding three already forming bruises and a small cut above her left eye.  He shrugged, it could have been worse, but his attention was caught to her earring.  He held it gently, finding it to be an odd coin.  He frowned, and shoved her lightly to make sure she was still unconscious.  Getting no response, he took the coin, turning it in his hands.  "Nice little trinket…Shame ye've gone and lost it, eh?"  He grinned, and shoved the earring into his pocket.

Jack sighed, and stared at the girl.  He couldn't just leave her here for the night, who knows when she'd be found and taken care of?  If she had a concussion, or a broken rib, she'd need immediate care.  He skimmed the tavern briefly, in hoped of finding someone that would be looking for her.  Of course, he found no one, the tavern owner was probably drunk in a corner again, and the other two bar maids were still enjoying their company of twenty or so pirates.  He shrugged and looked at Stella.  "Well, I guess ye'll have to come with me then.  Any objections?"  He pauses, as if he was waiting for an answer.  He chuckled to himself and smirked.  "Good then."  He quickly felt her sides and ribs, checking for broken bones.  Finding none he could feel, he carefully hoisted her over his shoulder, minding the dangerously low hanging lanterns.  He grinned, and snatched the money the men had left before they had fled and slipped that into his pocket as well.  Trying not to look suspicious, he walked around the various drunken, stumbling pirates and out the tavern door.  He sighed as he walked towards the docks, still grinning to himself.  "Not a dull tavern in all of Tortuga…" he said to himself.

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Stella awoke to gentle, steady rocking.  She yawned, and looked around herself, finding herself in a strange room.  She looked down at the blankets surrounding her, not recognizing the bed, either.  The room had both a floor and ceiling of wooden planks, placed tightly beside each other, leaving no cracks for light to shine through.  The bed was a very large four poster, canopy bed with deep red curtains billowing from the sides, complete with heaps of velvety pillows and thick blankets.  Other than large, equally decorated table with chairs, and many candles around the room, it was pretty much bare.  It would seem that the owner only ate and slept in the room, and left for the remained of the day.  She started to sit up, but was quickly reminded of the night before by a sharp pain from her back and ribs.  She bit her lip, and propped herself up against the headboard, despite the pain.  She hissed quietly, and finally got herself into a sitting position.  

She slowly threw off the blankets that surrounded her, and found herself in strange clothes; not hers.  She frowned, confused.  She remembered fighting some stupid drunkard last night, getting knocked to the floor, then someone else punching the man.  She had passed out after that much.  Finding several bumps on her head and face, and a large bandage covering almost her entire lower torso, she sighed.  "Obviously a larger fight than I thought…"  She then inspected what she was wearing.  She had on a loose pair of dark brown breeches that hung low around her waist, obviously once belonging to a very large man.  However, the waist had been altered to fit her somewhat, with a thick cord that had been used as a sort of makeshift thread.  Her belt was gone, as were her boots and the rest of her clothing.  "I'll find them later…An if my corset's missin', someone will die…" she growled to herself.  She lifted the large, white cotton shirt she was wearing, and inspected the bandage.  She raised her eyebrows, as it had been almost expertly done.  Not wanting to ruin it, she carefully a bandage, and unwrapped it, wanting to get a better look at her wounds.  Just then, the door flew open, and an elaborately dressed pirate sauntered in, causing her to jolt in surprise, pain surging through her once again.

"Y'ever heard of knockin'?" she growled defensively.  Jack grinned, unfazed.  "Good morning, luv.  Slept well, did ye?" he asked, looking at her revealed torso.  Stella frowned and pulled her shirt back down.  "Now you'd do best to be careful with that bruised rib of yours," he said as he walked over next to her.  "Don't go messing around with the bandages, or it'll never heal," he sighed as he gently lifted her shirt to look at it.  Stella quickly pulled it back down and glared at him.  "I can take care of it myself!" she growled.  "I don't need ye to be liftin' my shirt every time ye think ye need to 'check my bandages'," she said.  Jack raised an eyebrow at her.  "Now luv, do you think that's all I'm interested in if I got you out of that fight, carried ye aboard my own ship, bandaged ye up, and let ye sleep in my own bed, all on my own accord?" he defended himself, smirking slightly on the 'sleep in my own bed' part.  Stella looked around the room, thinking, trying to escape the deep stare that came from his dark brown eyes.  Unable to come up with a good reply, she rolled her eyes and sighed, letting him look at her bandage.  Jack smiled, and poked different areas of her torso gently, stopping when Stella winced sharply.  "Good then," he replied.  "Good then?!  I've got broken ribs, and that's 'good then' ?!" she yelled.  

Jack sighed.  "Well, if it only hurts right in that spot, it's only one rib.  And it's not broken, only bruised, so if you'll quit messing around with the bandage, it'll be healed in about two weeks," he explained patiently, sounding as if he had quite a bit of knowledge in this area.  "Oh…" Stella replied sheepishly.  Jack did up the bandage once again quickly, and stood back up.  "Right then.  I've got work to do, so if you're done yellin' and whatnot at me, I'll be off," he replied coldly as he turned around towards the door.  Stella closed her eyes and shook her head, feeling quite stupid at the moment.  

"Wait!" she finally managed to get out, making Jack stop just as he was about to shut the door.  He turned around, popping his head back inside.  "Yes?" he asked, half-caring.  "Look, I'm sorry, uh…" she looked at him blankly for a moment.  "Jack.  Captain Jack Sparrow," he stated, his face appearing to brighten at the mention of his title.  Stella smiled slightly.  "Captain Sparrow then.  I'm sorry for that whole bit.  It's just I've been through a lot, and I'm frankly, I'm in a pissy mood right now.  I am grateful for what ye've done for me, so thank you.  If you could just show me where my things are, I'll leave," she explained.  "It's alright luv, I understand," he said, after nodding sympathetically.  He smirked as he looked behind him, looking outside.  "As for that last bit, you'll have to wait until we get to port again."  Stella's jaw dropped.  "To port?!  You mean we're at sea?!" she exclaimed.  Jack looked at her quizzically.  "Well, this is a ship.  Left last night, 'bout an hour after I got ye onboard," he stated.  Stella looked at him blankly, not sure whether she was actually upset.  "Well, how long until we port again?" she asked.  Jack shrugged, "Around two or three weeks.  Ye should be healed by that time, so it'll be perfect timin'," he replied.  With that, he grinned and shut the door, leaving Stella along once again in the room.

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**PLEASE REVIEW!   FREE RUM TO ALL THOSE WHO DO!  AND I'LL THROW IN REALLY BIG HATS AS WELL! :) **


	4. The Sea Calls

**| A Pirate's Dawn |**

_Chapter Four_

_"The Sea Calls"_

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***Author's Notes***

_Gah, the last chapter got uploaded and updated onto the site, but it wasn't published in the main POTC directory…or it was and I can't find it!  *cries*  No one will know this exists!  Just another reason to get another chapter up!_****

**P L E A S E     R E V I E W ! ! !**

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**MarauderPhoenix ~ **Ah, it's so great to have a frequent reviewer, you have no idea how happy it makes me!  So yay for you!  

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All she could do was sit there, propped up against the bed's headboard.  Her emotions were a mix of confusion, panic, anger, and…was it really?...happiness.  The last thing she remembered was practically being beaten senseless on the hard floor of the tavern.  "Oh…no…Larson's gonna…kill me…" she panicked, as her various emotions pummeled over her already pounding head.  "Oh dear lord…no no no…Everything was fine…it was…"  she stopped herself, forcing her lungs to take in a deep breath.  "Screw it," she concluded silently.  Six years anywhere, even Tortuga, is enough to stay in one place.  She had subconsciously wishing for some opportunity like this to come up for the past couple years.  This was probably the best thing that had happened to her in a long while…well, minus the damaged rib and various bruises from the neck up.  

Of course, Jack didn't expect her to stay in that room, especially if they were at sea, did he?  Stella smiled to herself, imagining the fresh sea air awaiting her outside…if she could just manage to get herself out of bed.  She bit her lip, preparing herself for what she was about to experience.  Deciding it was probably best to get up fast and get it over with, she managed to hang her feet and legs over the side of the bed, and after counting very reluctantly to three, she quickly shifted all of her weight and stood up.  She immediately clutched her side and shoved her free hand knuckles-first into her mouth to keep herself from screaming.  It was like no other pain she had ever felt, like her ribs were actually poking all of her insides, and needles were surrounding her lungs, daring her to take a breath.  She finally regained her composure, and started to make small steps towards the door, finding it considerably less painful than standing up.  

After a few moments, she made it to the large, wooden door, and turned the brass doorknob.  She was immediately greeted with warm, salty sea air.  In an odd way, she felt at home, even though she was on a strange ship, and knew no one on board, except the captain…slightly.  She sighed, and walked up to the side of the ship, and rested her arms on the side wall.  She grinned, feeling that unmistakable sea breeze kiss her face, memories all flooding back to her.  She hadn't felt this for six years, and it was high time she returned to the sea.

Now feeling quite liberated, Stella started to now build a little anger for Jack.  "Idiot, stupid pirate…It's all fine'n dandy that he gives me a hand in the tavern, but it doesn't give him any bit of a right to take me aboard his ship'n start sailin' off to lord knows where!"  she mumbled to herself.  "They're all alike, they are.  Come boundin' in and take what they want, thinkin' they have the right to…"  she trailed off suddenly, realizing what she was saying.  She was a pirate too, after all.  Had living on land taken that large of a toll on her?  Had it taken a little piece of who she was, and replaced it with the general hatred towards pirates that seemed all too common on land?  "No…No, I'm still me.  No one can take that from me…" she murmured to herself.

"Who can't take what from ye, love?"  innocently asked a smoky voice from behind her.

Stella turned quickly, a little too quickly, to look behind her, and immediately regretted doing so.  She gripped her side once again, and winced.  Scowling, she looked up to find Jack smirking down at her from atop the roof of the room she came from, apparently part of the deck.  "None of yer business, is it?" she retorted.  She couldn't risk him, or anyone, getting the first impression that she was some sensitive little princess to be messed with.  

Jack raised an eyebrow.  "Well, I like to check on people that tend to talk to themselves…Don't need any loonies on me ship, ye see," he replied.  After a brief pause, he crossed his arms and looked at her.  "Must'a hurt like hell to get out her that fast.  S'only been ten minutes," he remarked, half in astonishment.  

Stella sighed, backed off, realizing she was probably being defensive for no reason.  He didn't seem to have any purpose for being on her, most likely he was bored.  "Yeah, it did," she replied, silently rubbing her waist.  She smiled and looked up at the sky, clouds gently drifting overhead.  "It was worth it though…" she trailed off.

Jack looked at her strangely, and then looked up at the sky, expecting to see something odd, and found only the Caribbean sky above him.  He shrugged, and looked out at the horizon.  He actually smiled himself, not being able to see anything but clear, blue sea surrounding him.  "I suppose it was…" he trailed off.  He looked back at Stella, and stared at her oddly.  "I don't remember meeting a bar maid that appreciated the sea as much as you seem to, you know," he said questioningly.

She shook her head and looked back at him.  "Might be due to the fact that I grew up out here," she said sarcastically.  

Jack stared at her, obviously not believing a word she had just said.  "You?  Grew up at sea?"  He immediately broke out into a deep laughter, which only enraged Stella even more.

She glared at him, wishing more than ever that she could leap up right then and there and punch the living daylights out of him.  "Yes…I…did…" she growled through gritted teeth.  "My father was a captain.  Damn good one at that."

Jack rolled his eyes, continuing to chuckle quietly to himself.  "And who's this famed captain of yours then?  Not a bloody Brit, I hope," he taunted.

"Of course not a damned Brit, he was a pirate!  Would have shot myself by now if he'd have been a Brit," she yelled angrily.  "James Gundry…if ye've heard the name at all…" she added, not actually expecting Jack to know him.  Her father was a successful and well-known pirate, yes, but not by any means as famous as others.

The expression on Jack's face shifted from amused to disbelief.  "Jim Gundry?  Wouldn't have gone by Jim Gunn by any chance, would he have?"  he asked curiously.

"Yeah, but only to the crew.  Made everyone else call him by his full name," she replied, trying to remember.  She shrugged, shocked to actually find out that her father had a nice name carved out for himself in the Caribbean.  

"No no, love," Jack stated, now very seriously.  He jumped down from the roof, and down to the deck that Stella was on, causing her to flinch in surprise.  "Maybe everyone that talked to him in person.  Known by Jim Gunn in the taverns.  The Intrepid had quite a reputation.  Too bad she had to go down," he said, shaking his head slightly.  "Jim Gunn was yer father then, ye say?" he asked, now actually believing her.  People that kept to the land, even ones in Tortuga, couldn't have come up with a name like Jim Gunn on the spot like that.

Stella nodded her head silently, slowly letting her anger subside.  "Taught me everythin' he knew," she added solemnly.  "I was supposed to inherit the Intrepid after he died, but seeing as how she's down with him…" she shook her head silently.  "That's all I've ever wanted.  A ship.  My ship," she said quietly.

Jack silently nodded in mutual understanding.  "My condolences…he was a good man.  I know what it's like to be a rightful captain without yer ship as well…" he added.  Jack gave off a general aura of experience and truthfulness when he talked about the sea; it was hard not to believe him.

"Yeah well…anyway, I ended up stuck in Tortuga for six years as a bar maid in that same tavern as last night.  I didn't remember how much I missed it out here…" she added.  "But I'm going to get my own ship and captain it," she concluded, not really wanting to talk much more about her past, or her father, for that matter.

Jack grinned at her.  "Six years?  In Tortuga?  What's not to like about that?" he asked happily.  "Rum, women…Rum…" he said, dazing off.  Stella just rolled her eyes and scoffed.  "Surprised ye didn't just commandeer a ship there.  Even a little frigate would've gotten ye off to a nice start," he said.

Stella just shook her head.  "I don't know.  I guess I was just too concerned with getting someplace to sleep and eat to think about it.  It really messed with my head…I was so confused and scared…Was only sixteen, ye know," she stated honestly.  She had shown up in Tortuga with a little money, the clothes on her back, and that was practically it.  "Had nothing.  Absolutely nothing to call my own, 'cept for my clothes, and my coin that…" she trailed off, feeling for her coin earring, finding nothing.  Frantically, she checked her other ear, but of course, found nothing there either.  "Dammit!  Must have lost it last night…" she concluded sadly.  It was one of the only possessions she had.  She shrugged, figuring there was nothing she could do about it now.  However, if she ever saw that short little pirate again, she'd kill him.  No questions asked.

Jack had seen her reach for her earring, which he of course, had stolen, not ever missing an opportunity.  He smirked slightly, but said nothing, not wanting to let her on at all.  It might come in useful later, you never know…  

"Cap'n!  Cap'n, the wheel!" shouted some voice from the other side of the ship, calling out in their direction.

Jack's eyes widened and made a sort of "oops" face, as he looked behind him without turning his head.  "Right then.  Just a little sidetrack," he replied to himself sheepishly.  He had been away from the wheel for approximately ten or fifteen minutes now, when he was only going to step away for a moment to check the sails.  Of course, Stella had caught his attention, and had completely made him forget about what he was supposed to be doing.

"Very responsible, _Captain_," Stella said sarcastically.  Jack just grinned and shrugged, as if it happened all the time.  This scared Stella a bit, being on a ship with an unfit captain.  She really had no idea what kind of leader or pirate he was yet.

"Yes, well…Easily corrected," he replied.  "I think…" he added questioningly.  He quickly took out his compass and looked at the horizon.  "Only lost about half an hour, really," he concluded.  "I'll be off then, you should go back and lay down, or ye'll never get off my ship," he added sternly, and with that, he turned and headed off.

Stella rolled her eyes as she watched him walk away.  "Odd man for a captain…" she thought to herself, but shrugged her shoulders.  She turned back towards the horizon, and stood there, planning her eventual pirating future.  She fully intended on getting a ship, and she'd do anything to get it.

**P L E A S E    R E V I E W ! **

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	5. Invalid

**| A Pirate's Dawn |**

_Chapter Five_

_"The Invalid"_

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***Author's Notes***__

_Ah, I'm so glad to be getting new readers, it really is a wonderful feeling.  Sorry I haven't written a new chapter for a while, I've had a lot of unit tests in Calculus and Chem., so that's taken up quite a bit of my time.  That, and any spare time has been spent watching POTC, lol…Sorry the chapter's so short, it's just that the part of the plot I'd like to start next would be to long to include in this chapter.  Next time though, I promise!_

**P L E A S E    R E V I E W !!! **(_Even only if you only say that you've read it!  It means so much to me!)_

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**StrawBerriePunk ~ **Thankies, me friend!  Your replies really mean a lot to me, you actually personalize them instead of the generic, "Me like, Write more soon."  And of course there's more rum!  There's always more rum!  Unless moron Elizabeth came by recently…Grrr… :) 

**Lareine Descoeurs ~ **Thank you so much!  I really am quite proud of this one, I've actually managed to write more than 3 chapters without quitting, lol!  I usually write 2 nice ones at the beginning, but few people read/review them, so I get discouraged.  But this one's turning out quite nice, I think!  BTW, I love your username (Je parle francais aussi!)

**Amoeba Queen ~ **YES YES, LONG LIVE POTC!!!  I really can't wait for the next movie; I'm sure no one can!  Thank you very much, I did work hard on the first chapter with descriptions and background info and stuff.  I always try to make the "premiere" of a fanfic of really good quality, so people will actually be intrigued to read more of it.  Of course, then I have to live up to that standard… :P  

**Ecila ~ **Thanks!  It's really hard to make POTC (especially JackOC) fanfic different from others of the same genre.  I try to give it some uniqueness, and stay as far away from MarySue-ing as possible…Grrrr…MarySues…*sics dog on them*

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Stella laughed heartily along with the rest of the crew.  Gripp, a crewmember, continued his jovial, drunken dance on the table, accompanied by someone else playing a fiddle.  Gripp, grinned stupidly as the crew cheered in the small dining room below deck.  A week or so had gone by since her boarding the Pearl, and the pain from her ribs and back wasn't quite as bad.  She could actually move around on deck for small periods of time, and she did, of course, as frequently as she could.  Due to this, she had gotten to know the crew pretty well.  After all, there wasn't much to do on deck unless you were on duty, but to talk.

"Lovely singin' voice he's got, eh?"  Gibbs shouted at Stella, who sat on the chair right next to him.  The din of the room was so loud, you had to yell to be heard.  

"Is _that what that is?"  she smirked, and took another large gulp of rum.  Jack was careful to keep at least three barrels of it on board at all times, this she had been told by almost everyone aboard, including Jack himself.  Just then, the ship rocked a bit to the side as a large gust of wind hit the ship, causing Gripp to lose his balance, and kick a full mug of rum onto several crewmen._

"Gripp, you blundering idiot!"  yelled Anamaria, as she splashed her own mug into his face.  Gripp just licked his lips and smiled back at her.

"I'd have a'nuzzer if ye would'n mind…" he managed to get out before he collapsed into a heap onto the floor, still muttering his ad libbed shanty.

Anamaria rolled her eyes, and grabbed a nearby mug to replace the one she had just emptied, only to pour it in a steady stream, onto to Gripp.

"Now, I won't be havin' anyone wasting _my_ rum on _my_ ship!"  rumbled a voice behind them all.  Everyone turned around to see a very wet Jack standing in the doorway, against a stormy night sky.  "Aye, Captain…"  Anamaria mumbled and drank what was left of her rum quietly, continuing to mutter to herself.  Jack sauntered down the stairs flamboyantly and slammed his hands on the table, palms open.  "Drinkin', that's another thing altogether!"  he said as he grinned and grabbed a half-full mug and sat down beside Anamaria, across from Stella and Gibbs.  Seeing this, parts of the crew cheered, and then everyone resumed their previous volume and behavior.

"Uh…Jack…Jack?"  Gibbs asked impatiently, as Jack took a steady drink from the mug, setting it down noisily when he was finished.  The mug, of course, had been emptied in under ten seconds.

"You wanted somethin', Gibbs?"  Jack asked absent-mindedly as he searched the table for another lonely mug.

"If yer down here with us…"  said Gibbs as he trailed off.

"Spit it out, man," said Jack as he surveyed Stella's mug, taking it when she wasn't looking.  "Sorry luv, ye don't mind, do ye?"  he asked, without waiting for an answer.  Stella only glared at him.  If she could smack him, she would, but in her condition, it probably wasn't the best idea to start a fight, with the captain, no less.  "Of…course…not…"  she forced a sickening smile through gritted teeth.

"Well?  Who the hell's at the wheel then?!  In a storm?!"  Gibbs shouted impatiently.

Jack looked up from the mug only briefly, and waved his hand in the air, as if the matter wasn't important.  "Not a storm, just drizzlin'…Besides, I needed my rum break," he replied casually.

Gibbs just stared at him in disbelief, not being able to find any further words.  Anamaria stared back and forth between them, and finally sighed loudly in frustration.  "I'll go!" she shouted angrily, feeling once again, taken for granted.  

Jack raised an eyebrow and watched her slam the door on her way out.  He looked back at Stella and Gibbs, his thumb motioning towards the door.  "What was _that all about then?"  he asked them.  He of course, was going to send someone up if no one had brought up the subject, but he only wanted to annoy Anamaria even further.  It really wasn't raining all that hard, and they were set due west for another two hours or so.  Suddenly, Jack broke his act and erupted with a deep laughter.  "Dear lord, man, do ye really think I'm that crazy?!" he asked Gibbs._

Gibbs only stared at him, and then started laughing himself.  "Of course not, I was jus'…worried…is all…" he chuckled, shaking his head.  Stella rolled her eyes, and made to get up for another mug of rum.  

"Whoa, whoa now luv, ye shouldn't be getting' up when there's no need, what with yer condition an' all…"  Jack said after calming his laughter and stopping her with a hand on her shoulder.  "Another rum for the invalid!"  he shouted, and was answered with laughter from the crew.  In an instant, a mug full to the brim came sliding down the heavily shined table.  Stella grabbed her rum angrily, and mumbled, "I'm _not_ a bloody invalid…" but took a gulp of the strong alcohol.  She had to admit, this was good stuff, not cheap and watered down like she had served in Tortuga.

The door at the top of the stairs opened suddenly, and Anamaria, now quite wet herself, poked her head inside.  "Gibbs!  Get out here, I've been waitin' long enough!  Do ye think I can man the deck by myself?!"  she yelled and then slammed the door.  Gibbs just looked confused.  "Bloody women, why can't they jus' tell ye when they want ye to do somethin'…" he mumbled as he got up and drug his feet up the stairs and on deck, slamming the door as well.

"That door's gonna need a replacement soon enough," Jack said as he shook his head.  After hearing no acknowledgement from Stella, he sighed.  "Everyone's too bloody serious t'night…" he complained to himself.

"What d'ye expect, from an invalid?"  she said angrily, putting much emphasis on the last word.

Jack only placed his hands up in mock defense.  "A'right, a'right, yer not an invalid then…" he rolled his eyes and sighed in defeat.  He smirked.  "So…been thinkin' of ways to get that future ship a'yours lately?" he asked innocently, knowing full well that the subject would bring her out of her mood.

Of course, Stella's eyes lit up.  "Yes…but I haven't a plan yet, really…I suppose just commandeer one wherever it is that we'll port at…" she frowned.  It was hard to think up a decent plan of action if you didn't even know the area.

"Port Maria.  An' I doubt you'd be able to get one there.  The whole port's heavily armed with British guards, and if they aren't British, then they're a pirate.  An' a good one at that, otherwise they'd be caught," he said, taking a sip from his mug.

She sighed in frustration, knowing she had no idea whatsoever as to what she was doing.  "Then why are we goin' there in the first place?"  she asked.

Jack grinned with an air of pride.  "Because luv, I only do business with the best!"  he smiled happily.  "Gonna trade in some of our plunder from the last raid of ours for some more supplies.  Got a friend who's in that sort of business, as it were," he explained.

"Oh…" she stated blankly.  Okay, so he was going to drop her off at a port filled with the best of soldiers and pirates.  "Wonderful…" she thought to herself.  She let herself stare off into the background, trying to figure out what she was going to do.

Jack looked at her oddly and waved his hand in front of her eyes, causing her to come back.  "What?" she asked, once again losing interest.  

"What's the matter, luv?  The rum getting' to ye?" he asked jokingly.  

"No…no…not the rum…" she trailed off.  "Their treasure…surely I could swipe a bit of it, and pay my way back to Tortuga.  Or maybe a more quiet port…" she thought to herself.  

Jack shrugged, and seeing that she was once again dazed off, quietly took her mug and helped her finish it, figuring that it was better to just let her go.  Besides, that rum was lookin' pretty lonesome all by itself…

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**P L E A S E     R E V I E W ! ! !**


	6. She's a Pirate

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| A Pirate's Dawn |

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Chapter Six

"She's a Pirate"

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* Author's Notes *

Figured it's about time for another chapter, how about you? :) Once again, I'd just like to thank all my readers so much, you have no idea how much you guys mean to me! And I honestly apologize for my crazy updating schedule. Actually, it's not really a schedule, is it? Honestly, I work on the fic whenever I can, but I'm busy till 6 or 7 each night with after-school stuff, and the musical's coming up soon and….ah, bloody hell, why do I have to be so damn busy? :) Anyway, hope ya enjoy this one! By the way, I was about to name the last title, "Crossroads", so don't mind that comment in chapter five's notes! Sorry for the confusion! **P L E A S E R E V I E W ! ! !**

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The Lost Guava ~ Hey thanks! I can always use the compliments! Er, I mean support! *sheepish grin*

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Free rum and personal responses guaranteed to all those who respond! Comments, suggestions, and constructive criticism are always welcome!

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Stella leaned against the edge of the bow, watching the ever approaching shore of Port Maria. She sighed in exasperation as the cold sea water sprayed just below her. What was she going to do? If only that moron in the tavern hadn't have attacked her, she wouldn't be in this mess to begin with. She could be back at home…slaving away…every day…forever…"Okay, maybe this isn't so bad…" she thought to herself. "I needed out of that rut, and this is as good of a reason as any I suppose." She let out a frustrated growl. She had two options. Either be left in Port Maria with nothing to her name but the clothes on her back, or swipe a few things from the Pearl and bargain her way back to Tortuga. But either way, what would she do afterwards? Go back to her life away from sea? She shook her head silently. "No…I won't go back to that. I didn't realize how much I hated it until I got out. Out here, I feel…alive again," she mused to herself.

She plopped down on an empty box, feeling lost. "I need the sea again. I need my old life," she thought. She sighed, defeated. "I need a ship," she said out loud to herself. She had made up her mind. That's all that everything and anything boiled down to, no matter how many times she reasoned it out in her head. A ship. Her ship. It's about time she stood up to the legacy that her father left behind, and now was the perfect opportunity. Hell, depending on what Jack and his crew had stored onboard, she might even be able to buy herself one. Or at least temporarily hire a crew to help her commandeer one. That was it. That was the answer.

She stood up, finding herself more determined than ever. This would be the perfect chance to test her pilfering skills, after they had been "put away" for so many years. Of course, first, she'd need her old uniform. Quickly, she turned and surveyed the approaching shoreline. "Just enough time," she reassured herself quietly, and headed towards the cabin she'd been staying in.

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She cautiously opened the door, making sure no one else was currently inside it. Finding no one, she silently shut the door behind her, and propped an old, wooden chair up to the handle; the only doors onboard that had locks were the supply pantry, and the brig cells below deck. She had found her clothing a while earlier, and had put it away in a small pile in the corner for later use. She mentally praised herself for thinking ahead this time; she usually tended to live by the moment. 

"Gotta hurry," she quietly reminded herself. The more time she had, the more she could grab and conceal. Quickly throwing off her sea-worn, makeshift clothing, she put on her breeches, shirt, and belt as fast as she could without ripping anything. She slipped her boots on, their snug fit oddly reassuring to her. She couldn't help but smile out of pure relief the entire time. Finally, she was free again! She sighed, and walked over to a chair, where her half-corset lay carefully folded by itself. A strange chill ran down her spine as she loosely laced it up. Her father would have been proud. She smirked, grateful that this corset wasn't meant to keep her from breathing. If anything, it was meant to keep her breathing. She looked up for a quick once-over in the mirror, and laughed sharply at herself. Her hair. She had almost forgotten. "Wouldn't have gotten very far like this…" she said amusedly. The weeks at sea had definitely had an effect on her hair, which now resembled the wavy, rough mane of some wild animal. It hadn't been combed or tied back, just let free in the winds, and it had taken its toll. She shrugged, and braided it back, ending up with more of a knotted mass than anything. "One last thing…" she thought to herself, and grabbed a nearby pistol before heading out the door.

She shut the door behind her, only after making sure none of the crew was out walking nearby. To her relief, most were either in their quarters, or on the opposite side of the ship, preparing to port. Still, she stealthily slinked along the wall until she arrived at the small door that lead below deck to the storage room. The handle was rusted from the constant sea water and sun that it was exposed to. She quickly jerked it open a foot or so, to keep one large, drawn-out creak from alerting the crew and ruining her plan. She had come so far. To ruin it now would be a complete waste. She slipped a small piece of wood between the door and the threshold to keep it from closing on her. She wouldn't be able to open it again, if her hands were occupied with other…items. 

Once everything was clear, she raced down the musty staircase to find the small room loaded with several wooden chests, barrels (assumedly of rum), and various other random items that were no doubt grabbed in a hurry. Blankets, children's toys, were some of them, strewn out across the floor. She immediately ran over to one of the chests and, finding it unlocked, opened it to find various trinkets, the perfect size for temporary storage. She grinned triumphantly and stuffed several handfuls down her carefully tucked-in shirt, muffling a scream from the sudden cold metal touching her bare skin. After "storing" a significant amount in her clothing, she began placing rings, bracelets, and other jewelry on herself, pulling her sleeves down to hide it all. Before closing the trunk to leave, she grabbed a large silver coin and stuffed it into her pocket, to make into a replacement earring as soon as she got to port. She just didn't feel complete without it. She let out a huge sigh of relief, and closed the trunk. Now all she had to do was sneak off the ship… 

Suddenly, she jumped in surprise as the door slammed shut from the top of the stairs. "Dammit!" she cursed to herself, temporarily blinded. She waited a moment and let her eyes adjust, finding she couldn't see much more than before, except for the small line of light that came from under the door. Groping around in the pitch darkness, she found the stairway's railing after stubbing her toe and a few moments of cursing the ship. She finally found herself a step or so away from the door after gingerly taking the stairs one at a time. "Damn, bloody, old ship…" she muttered to herself as she blindly reached around for the doorknob. 

"I'd watch what ye'd be saying around the owner of the ship if I were you, love," warned a deep voice, as a hand shot out and grabbed her arm. 

Stella's eyes widened in surprise, and she let out a small, startled scream as she tried to back away, forgetting where she was. Jack quickly reached out and got a hold of her other arm before she tumbled down the stairs. Stella looked around in fear, trying to make out shapes, but it was no use.

"So, I could let ye go- " he started.

"That wouldn't really help either of us, would it now," Stella snapped back.

"I beg t'differ love, I've got nothin' to lose…I wonder what lovely items I might find on ye?" he questioned her. His tone was dark, and serious, the tone he only used when giving orders. "What do ye propose we do then?" he asked.

"Well, you're not going to get much out of me if ye let go and I go all unconscious after a little tumble, would ye?" she reasoned.

"Right then." He pulled her up to the top step, without releasing his grip. "Let's see what ye found to yer fancy then, shall we?" he asked amusedly. He kicked the door open with his foot, and let some of the light in. Stella squinted her eyes, once again blinded by the sudden change. Jack let out a long, low whistle at the sight. He grabbed the side of her shirt and shook it, triumphantly hearing the jingling of coins. 

"I must say love, if you'd have gotten away with it, I would've been impressed," he said.

Stella only glared back at him. She would have. If only he had come a bit later. "How long have you been in here?"

His face grew serious. "Long enough to know that I've got a traitor on board that can't be trusted," he answered.

She rolled her eyes. "So what now?" she asked impatiently. If only he'd relax his grip, just for a moment. That's all it'd take for her to be able to slip out past him. Just catch him off-guard.

"Well, usually, we'd let ye go for a swim, but seeing as how we're so close to port, there really wouldn't be much point in that," he reasoned. "Maybe turn ye out to the nearest guard post?" he said as he smirked. They both knew he wouldn't send a fellow pirate to the gallows like that. "Might I ask, love, what were ye going to do with this lovely little stash of yours?" he asked curiously, half amused, half just toying with her.

"Don't really see how that concerns you, Jack. It would have been mine, and that's all that need be known," she spat out angrily. 

Jack shot up his hands in mock defense. "Oh aye, love, I believe ye, but I'd really be givin' me more respect in yer situation. It's Captain, love," he warned seriously.

Stella saw her chance, and she wasn't going to let it pass by without taking advantage of it. She kicked the door open all the way, and ran out. "So close…" she urged herself. She ran to the edge of the ship, and hurdled over the side, taking in a deep breath. She plunged farther into the water than she expected. But why wasn't she floating back up? She began to panic, but remembered the jewelry. Silently cursing, she threw off what she could spare, and started kicking back up towards the sun. Finally, she surfaced and gasped for air. She still had to tread water rapidly to stay afloat; she couldn't have gone through that entire ordeal and let all of her spoils sink to the bottom of the sea, could she? 

Watching the Black Pearl sail off towards Port Maria, she let out a victorious laugh and waved. "Idiot…" she muttered to herself. All of a sudden, something tugged at her leg and dragged her underwater. She immediately started kicking at whatever it was that her leg had gotten tangled in. She soon realized that it wasn't tangled; it was someone else pulling on her. "Impossible…" she thought to herself. But that didn't matter to her at the moment. She needed air, and fast. She regained her thought, and stopped kicking, and instead, reached down towards them and pulled their hair up with her, causing them both to start floating up.

Jack and Stella both surfaced facing each other. At almost the same moment, both drew pistols and put the barrels on each others' temples. 

"Arghhh! Let go of my hair!" growled the now soggy Jack. The water had caused the kohl around his eyes to smudge even more, causing little streams of black to rolls down from his eyelids.

"You let go of my leg!" she yelled right back at him. He had, indeed, kept a firm grip on her boot the entire time.

Jack took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. He released her leg and drew his hand up to his face, and breathed out heavily while pushing his hand down slowly. He opened his eyes, obviously holding back his anger. "Now let's just both calm down. Let's put down the pisto-" he stopped mid sentence while looking at Stella's weapon. All previous restraints he had on himself were gone. "That's my pistol, you bloody little…!" he yelled, his eyes wide with rage. He once again tried to regain his composure, while Stella only smirked back at him, and slowly lowered his pistol, forcing himself to put it away. 

Stella eyed him carefully, making sure he truly put it away. Jack groaned and put up both his hands to show that he didn't have something else hidden. Stella then slowly put it away, Jack never taking his gaze from it. "May I… please… have it…back?" Jack forced through gritted teeth, a fake smile flickering on and off. He seemed to twitch from it.

"You're going to have to take it from me if ye want it back, along with everything else," she answered smugly. 

"Even the ones in yer shirt then?" Jack asked innocently as he smirked. "If it's the only way, love," he said, after pretending to think about it.

Stella pushed him away, and started to swim towards shore, but something caught her eye. A coin, on his bandana… "Hey! That's mine! I've been looking for it for weeks you bilge rat!" she screamed as she started swimming back towards him.

Jack pushed her away. "Ye've got mine, I've got yours, we're square," he said as he crossed his arms happily. "I knew it'd come in handy," he thought to himself gleefully, grinning like a triumphant child.

Stella reached for the pistol and cocked it once more, ready to aim it again. Things were easy when you were the one with the weapon.

The smile dropped from Jack's face as he quickly fumbled to untangle the coin out. "Whoa, whoa love, alright…" he replied quickly. He held it out for her to take and gently forced her pistol down. "So then, there's no need for any of that anymore," he said, but he didn't need to, Stella's attention was on the coin now, inspecting it. Jack uneasily looked back and forth from her pistol to her eyes, and then finally grabbed it from her, Stella's head snapping back up once more. Jack cocked the pistol and aimed it at her once more. 

"So love, ye've got some explainin' to do now…"

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	7. An Accord

**| A Pirate's Dawn |**

_Chapter Seven_

_"An Accord"_

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***Author's Notes***

_Sorry everyone that I haven't updated in a while.  Wow.  Understatement of the century, eh?  I'll by ya all a round a'rum, how's that then?  And I'll make sure to make this chapter one of my longer ones, okay?  I promise!_

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"Have a seat then, luv," Jack menacingly growled as he shoved Stella into the Captain's quarters.  He slammed the door shut after her and put both pistols down onto a desk.  They had already docked, and the rest of the crew was now busying themselves by loading and unloading the ship below deck.  Jack briskly walked across the room, grabbed a ragged towel, and flung it at Stella.  

Stella grabbed the towel angrily scowling at Jack, slumped down on an old wooden chair in the center of the room, and started blotting herself dry to the best of her ability.  She had been so close.  So close to her dream, her life.  She had been so careless about it, now that she thought back on it.  "How could I have been so stupid?"  she mentally scolded herself, "Shouldn't have done it so fast…Should have planned it out earlier…"  She stared into a corner, not really knowing what was going to happen to her.  If only she still had her pistol in her possession.

Jack's silent pacing was making her more and more nervous by the second.  After much growling and muttering to himself, Jack suddenly stopped in front of her.  He took a deep breath, and slowly turned to look down at her.  "I'm willing to be fair about this," he stated calmly.  He paused, thinking.  "What, exactly, were ye plannin' to do with all that stash?" he questioned curiously.

Stella thought about her answer for a moment.  This was a delicate situation, and she couldn't afford to make anymore hasty mistakes by saying whatever was on her mind.  No.  That could bury her deeper into the hole she was already in.  She shrugged, figuring the basic truth would have to do.

"Sell it.  Trade it.  Whatever I could get for it."  She gazed back up at him, his stony, serious expression making her feel smaller by the second.  She had never seen him like this before.  Usually easy-going, and slurring his words around.  But now, he was a different person all together.  He wasn't Jack.  He was Captain Jack Sparrow.  It was amazing how clear he could speak and how threatening his eyes could look when he was doing business.

Jack only smirked, semi-amused by her answer.  "In Port Maria?  You didn't think that as soon as we had realized what you'd have done, we would have combed the entire city for you?  The port's the only way out of here, luv, isn't another town for days."

Stella just stared back up at him, speechless.  Her brilliant plan was looking stupider and less-organized the more she thought about it.  She really hadn't thought about any of this.

"I guess I…"  she trailed off, staring off into the corner again.  "I guess I was just…too anxious about it to plan it out.  It was just in my grasp…" she said in disbelief, shaking her head sadly.  "That close…And I blew it."  she sighed, and stared off.

He raised an eyebrow.  "What exactly was so close then?"  he asked, interested. 

She finally broke out of her gaze and made eye contact, immediately wishing she hadn't.  Those eyes, those dark, tortured looking eyes bore right into her soul.  But she couldn't look away now.  "My ship…" she said, trailing off.

Jack looked at her oddly once again.  "You have a ship?  Here?"

She shook her head, only wishing it was true.  "No, no…The money from the treasure," she explained.  "I was going to use it to get a ship.  Just a small one.  My own…" 

He looked at her, now understanding, feeling sympathy.  If it was one thing he understood, it was the love for a ship.  He shook his head slowly, comprehending it all.  "Ah…I think I see now…I suppose the Intrepid was supposed to be yours by now, wasn't it?  Your father's ship?"

Stella fought to hold back the tears.  All her memories of her father, his crew, the Intrepid, came flooding back to her.  If only everything had gone as it should have.  She would have her own ship now.  If not that, then at least being first mate to her father.  But it had all been ruined.  She was given nothing.  Everything was taken from her, including her life.  She had to start from scratch.  Six years of nothing in Tortuga.  Nothing in her future except for the occasional good tip from customers that liked the look of her blouse.  Six years of on the outside, looking in.  Watching ships come and go, people living the life she used to have, the one she wanted so badly to come back to her.  She had slowly worked herself into a rut, until she couldn't get out anymore, even if she had wanted to.  And her one chance, she had just blown.  She shook her head, focusing back on the subject at hand.

"Technically, she is.  But she doesn't do me much good in Davy Jones', does she?"  she said, smirking a bit.

Jack smiled a bit, now feeling more forgiving than anything.  "Ships can make you do crazy things, luv.  They're more than ships, they're your life," he said gently.

Stella forced a small smile and continued staring off into the corner once again.  "I guess I'll have to find another way then.  Maybe barmaid my way out of Port Maria and…Well, something."  She scratched her head, now itchy with the dried-in sea salt.  She sighed, and looked back at Jack.  "I'm sorry Jack, I really am, but you understand.  I had to do it, even if it didn't work out," she stated.

He nodded, crossing his arms.  "All's forgiven, luv."  Silence filled the room.  Not an uncomfortable silence, but a thinking silence, as Jack stroked his goatee and concentrated.  Suddenly, an idea came to him, and his eyes widened.  Stella, in her own trance, was unaware, until Jack excitedly slammed his hands on the back of her chair, causing her to jump in a panic.

"What in the HELL was that?!" she yelled, now breathing quite hard.  "Why are you grinning like an idiot?"  she demanded, a bit afraid of whatever had just popped into his head.

"We'll get you a ship, luv.  There's plenty here to pick from.  A nice smallish one, like you said.  Get you a crew too," he said as he grinned excitedly.  "Won't be hard, with me crew and all," he said reassuringly.

Stella looked at him oddly, but couldn't help but smile.  He really did understand how strongly she needed this.

"Course, I will be expecting somethin' in compensation…" he said suggestively, trailing one hand from the top of her head, down to her neck.  He scowled at her in mock-offense when she smacked his hand off of her.

"That's a given, but not of that nature I'm afraid dear captain," she said, smirking a bit.  "It all depends on the quality of the ship, I suppose…" 

Jack grinned, "As if that was ever a question, luv.  I could get you any ship you wanted.  With no help.  But if it's not that sort of compensation I'll be receiving, then what is it?"

Stella, put a hand to her chin, in thought.  She stood up, reaching her decision.  "I sail under you.  As part of your fleet.  I'll be my ship, and I'll be the Captain, but you'll get a bit of all me plunder, how's that?"  she asked.

Jack looked at her, squinting his eyes suspiciously.  "How much of it?"

"Enough.  It'll depend on how easy the raid was, how about that?  She asked him, happy her bartering skills were actually coming in handy after all these years.

He thought for a moment, and then nodded, apparently satisfied with her answer.  He put out his right hand, back into his business personality again.

"So we have an accord?"

Stella placed her hand in his, looking him right in the eye."

"We have an accord."

_***Please review, from rum to all those who do!***_

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